Christophe Sirodeau – Wikipedia

French pianist and composer (born 1970)

Christophe Sirodeau (born 1970 in Paris) is a French pianist and composer.

He started to compose at the age of 10 and although mainly self-taught as a composer, he later consulted with the musicologist Vladimir Chinayev and the composer Victoria Borisova-Ollas. Also influential was Alain Poirier’s analysis course at the Conservatoire de Paris (1993–5).

His compositions have been performed and recorded by Riitta-Maija Ahonen (mezzo-soprano), Eiichi Chijiiwa (violin), Jyväskylä Sinfonia, Sami Luttinen (bass), Orchestre National de Montpellier, Novalis String Quartet, Jonathan Powell (piano), Nikolaos Samaltanos (piano), Hannele Segerstam (violin), Leif Segerstam (conductor),^[1] Pia Segerstam (cello), Souliko String Quartet, Adriaan de Wit (piano).

As a pianist, he studied with Yevgeny Malinin (from 1982 to 1992, including 3 years at the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory), and has been encouraged in his studies by the pianist-composers Milosz Magin, Tatyana Nikolayeva and György Cziffra, by the violinist Vladimir Gutnikov, the actor Innokenty Smoktunovsky and the musicologist Henry-Louis de La Grange. Among his others teachers were Alberto Neuman, Thérèse Dussaut, Olga Lartshenko and Dora Rybac.

Since making his performing debut in 1982, he has performed a broad variety of repertoire in concert, recordings and broadcasts, specialising somewhat in the presentation of rarely heard music (Viktor Ullmann,^[2]Samuil Feinberg, Skalkottas, Kapralova for example). In the 1990s he undertook significant scholarly and performing work concerning Samuil Feinberg, which resulted in the composer’s 1st Piano Concerto and a number of unpublished songs and piano works coming to light and receiving their first performances and recordings since the 1930s, and in some cases, their world premieres.^[3]

Main works[edit]

Orchestral music

7 Symphonies (including the 4th with clarinet or viola solo, 5th with ‘cello solo, 3rd and 6th with soprano solo)
1 other piece for orchestra with a solo piano

Chamber music

1 Septet

1 Quintet 3 String Quartets

1 String Trio

4 Trios with piano

Several duos for ‘cello and piano or violin and piano

Several other chamber music pieces without piano

3 Suites for solo piano

Several other pieces for solo piano

1 piece for organ

Pieces for solo ‘cello, solo violin and solo viola

Vocal music

3 Songs cycles with piano

1 Songs cycle with ‘cello

1 song with piano and ‘cello

1 electronic music piece

Discography[edit]

Scriabin, Roslavets, Lourié and Feinberg (Arkadia, 1994)
Skalkottas – “Ulysses’ Return” for 2 pianos (with N. Samaltanos), Agorà Musica, 1995
Chamber music of Leif Segerstam (BIS, 1996)
Skalkottas – “Chamber Concerto” (BIS, 2003)
Samuil Feinberg – complete Piano Sonatas (with N. Samaltanos), BIS, 2003–04
“Obscur chemin des étoiles” – Orchestral, chamber and solo works of Christophe Sirodeau (Altarus Records, 2007)
Samuil Feinberg – 1st Piano Concerto (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra / Leif Segerstam) and solo piano pieces (Altarus Records, 2008)
Victoria Borisova-Ollas – “Im Klosterhofe” for cello, piano and tape (with Pia Segerstam) CD Phono Suecia, 2008
Samuil Feinberg – Songs (with Riitta-Maija Ahonen and Sami Luttinen), Altarus Records, 2009

References[edit]

• Booklet notes to “Obscur chemin des étoiles – orchestral, chamber and solo works of Christophe Sirodeau” (Altarus Records, 2007)
• Booklet notes to “Samuil Feinberg – Piano Sonatas Vols. 1 & 2” (BIS, 2003–04)

External links[edit]